On a Federal Advocacy Trip to Washington DC in May 2011, organized by Environmental Entrepreneurs to promote CleanTech, from left, David Moyar from MEI Hotels in Cleveland, Felix Kramer, and Laura Berland Shane from Siemens in Santa Monica met with Rep. Jay Inslee of Washington State. See a description of the trip at E2 Newsletter.

Minnesota State Representative Frank Hornstein and State Senator Scott Dibble came to Millbrae, CA on November 21, 2008 to explore potential new policies to promote plug-in cars in their state and throughout the Midwest.
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CalCars Senior Advisor Randy Reisinger with two visitors from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wu Xiao Ying, Counsellor, Department of East European and Central Affairs, and Lu Guijun, Deputy Director, Japanese Division, Asian Department, with their interpreter Weiqun Gu, at Stanford University, September 2008 after a briefing facilitated by the Institute of International Education. Lu Guijun holds the dongle; the car is a non-plug-in Toyota Camry hybrid.
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Dr. Roberto Dobles, Costa Rica's Minister of Environment and Energy (also responsible for Telecommunications, Water Resources and Mining), in front of UC Berkeley's Center for Latin American Studies in May 2008 at an event hosted by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Entrepreneurs. Dr. Dobles led a delegation to Massachusetts and California pursuing ways Costa Rica can achieve its goal of becoming "carbon neutral" by 2021, and briefings by CalCars and the Electric Power Research Institute introduced them to PHEVs.
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Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, founder of the Mayor's Compact for Climate Protection Agreement now signed by 850 cities, takes delivery of the first of 13 PHEV Priuses to be delivered to a regional demonstration project. The vehicle was converted by Hymotion and includes V2Green monitoring equipment..
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Silicon Valley Assembly Member Ira Ruskin at the Woodside Environment Fest, April 20, 2008. A member of the Transportation Committee, he introduced a visionary "feebate" bill to provide rebates for the purchase of the most new efficient cars funded by taxing the highest gas guzzlers. As Chairman of the Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources, he is responsible for oversight of the state's environmental agencies, including the Air Resources Board and the Energy Commission, and the implementation of key measures like AB32 (California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) and AB118 (the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program).
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got a brief explanation from 100+MPG-T-shirt-wearing Michael Bender (CalCars webmaster) at the Green Technology Summit in Sacramento, April 8, 2008.
Read a full description of the encounter, or view the full size photo.

Toyota VP of Communications Irv Miller with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the LA Auto Show, November 2007, demonstrating one of four plug-in Priuses Toyota has brought to California. Full size photo

At the North Dakota Great Plains Energy Expo in Bismarck in late Oct, 2007, Basin Electric Power Cooperative presented a live conversion of a Ford Escape into a PHEV by Hymotion. North Dakota's first PHEV was seen by Bud Collins, A123 Systems, Jerry Zielinski (kneeling), A123/Hymotion, Ron Harper, CEO and General Manager, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan and U.S. Dept. of Energy Secretary Sam Bodman.Photo: Steve Crane / Basin Electric Power Cooperative (
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At a reception during Iceland's first conference on how to power vehicles with "environmentally friendly fuels" in Reykjavik, September 17 2007, Thorkell Helgason, Director General at the National Energy Authority, hears about the infrastructure needed for electricity. (More photos: Driving Sustainability)

Washington Congressman Jay Inslee (member of the House Energy Committee and author of the new book, Apollo's Fire) and King County Executive Ron Sims at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists, Stanford, September 2007. Full size photo

The late U.S. Representative Tom Lantos of California, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, drove a PHEV for his August 30, 2007 "green tour" of solar and biofuel facilities on the San Francisco Peninsula.Full size photo

At a March 2007 press conference on City Hall Plaza, Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto signed the Plug-In Partners pledge for the city and personally, and Tom Hayse, CEO of ETM Electromatic Inc. announced the Silicon Valley Leadership Group's launch of a project to support "soft fleet orders" for PHEVs. For his company, on top of a $5K subsidy to employees who buy high-MPG hybrids, he pledged an additional $3K for purchasers of PHEVs. In background talking to a reporter is Jodie Van Horn of the Plug-In Bay Area Campaign.Full size photo

Former Secretary of State George Shultz (long-time PHEV advocate with James Woolsey) and his wife Charlotte Maillard Shultz, Chief of Protocol for the State of California, at pre-Inaugural "Leading the Green Dream" event, in Sacramento, January 2007.Full size photo

After Al Gore's 15-mile drive from the airport in CalCars' PHEV, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates greeted Gore before the October 23, 2006 Yes on 87 rally.Full size photo. May use with permission and credit to californiaprogressreport.com.

Wind entrepreneur Jerry McNerney contacted CalCars in November 2005 right after launching his bid for California's 11th Congressional District seat (against incumbent Richard Pombo). He wanted a PHEV to be his campaign vehicle. We couldn't provide one -- but he kept talking up PHEVs. He got a good look at our car at an event in Orinda in October. Having won the race, starting in January, as a Representative with on-the ground renewable energy business experience, we hope he'll be a strong advocate for them in Congress.Full-size photo

California State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has been an enthusiastic supporter of PHEVs. He plugged in at an event in October in Orinda. As Secretary of the Interior in the Clinton Administration and as a Peace Corps veteran, he was involved in many environmental issues. As Lieutenant-Governor, he will have the opportunity to influence California's policies on energy and transportation.Full-size photo

CalCars Founder Felix Kramer gave Bill Clinton a souvenir "dongle" and a packet of "airplane reading material" for his flight back from Los Angeles, where Clinton had come to endorse Proposition 87 (October 2006). Campaign Co-Chair Stephen Bing joined the conversation about PHEVs.Full-size photo

Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti (a Toyota RAV4-E driver) shows Bill Clinton the car Felix Kramer drove to UCLA for the October YesOn87 event, where Clinton announced his support for the Initiative.Full-size photo

James L. Connaughton, Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, senior environmental and natural resources advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Environmental Policy, spent an hour in October 2006 getting a demonstration, test-drive and a ride to San Jose Airport in our PHEV.Full-size photo